Encounter In Kulgam, J&K: Four militants belonging tothe Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) were killed by security forces in an encounter today at Kulgam, Jammu and Kashmir (South Kashmir). The operation which began at 5.30 am took place in Hardmanguri village where the militants were hiding in a house in the middle of an apple orchard. After an exchange of fire between security forces and terrorists that lasted for over six hours, they were able to successfully eliminate all four terrorists holed up within the house. According to reports this the same group of militants who were involved in the killings of fourcivilians in Kulgam and Anantnag in the past twelve days. The police said that the attacks on the civilians happened while authorities were preoccupied withabating the threat of coronavirus. After the recent spate of attacks securityforces resumed active anti-terrorism operations in South Kashmir. This led tothe encounter today with the militants. Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police Dilbag Singh said that agroup of terrorists had been operating from the area for several years andconfirmed that they were also the ones who killed the civilians.

On Wednesday night, the militants were involved in thekillings of two civilians in Kulgam. The victims who were identified as SirajAhmad Gorse and Ghulam Hassan Wagay were shot dead by the militants after theybroke into their homes. The victims suffered severe bullet injuries and weredeclared dead on arrival. Last month security forces were able to kill, fourterrorists, from the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) during anencounter in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir.